Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has opened the First Centre for ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Countries Studies in Ukraine at the Institute of International Relations of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
“Last year, ambassadors of the ASEAN countries and I discussed in Ukraine what we could do to develop cooperation. I proposed to create Centre for ASEAN Countries Studies in Ukraine. Today we have implemented this initiative. The Centre is laying the foundation for a qualitatively new level of cooperation between Ukraine and ASEAN,” the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry quoted Kuleba as saying on Tuesday.
The main task of the centre will be to establish effective interaction between researchers and scientific employees, the development of humanitarian and educational contacts between Ukraine and the ASEAN countries.
The minister recalled that this year, for the first time since independence, Ukraine has received a Foreign Policy Strategy, and noted that it paid due attention to Ukraine’s relations with Asian countries. According to him, work with this region should be systematic.
Kuleba noted that the next marker of the development of relations will be Ukraine’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
“Our state has already submitted an application, which is under consideration by ASEAN partners. This will not only be an impulse for further development, but also a clear signal about the new quality of relations between Ukraine and the ASEAN countries,” the Foreign Minister said.
Kuleba said that Ukraine is working to achieve a trade turnover between Ukraine and ASEAN of $5 billion per year.
“I am convinced that it is quite possible to achieve a trade turnover between Ukraine and ASEAN of $5 billion a year, and we are working to implement this goal. We are working to ensure that as many Ukrainian goods, especially those with high added value, are exported to Asian markets,” the minister assured.
